The disposal of waste water and other fluids is a concern to many commercial establishments and businesses. In the normal course of producing a finished product or food item, a byproduct is often waste water that has particulate matter therein. Many restaurants, for example, can generate hundreds of gallons of waste liquids each day that often have particles of food and other items therein. As another example, coffee shops generate wastes during the course of a day, including spent coffee grounds that often find their way into the waste water that is allowed to drain away with other liquids. Restaurants and pasta shops often inadvertently allow the remnants of pasta and other food articles to be flushed down the drain in the kitchen. It is well known that rice and pasta have an affinity for attachment to the plumbing pipes and accumulate over time to the extent that a blockage occurs.
The disposal of particulate matter down the waste water drain often leads to a clogged drain, and if not more, the contamination of the city and municipal waste water disposal facilities. Temporary efforts to keep drains clean can involve the use of harsh chemicals which are usually only marginally effective, and which can damage the drain pipes over time. Moreover, the drain pipes and traps of restaurants and the like can become clogged by the particulate matter and require plumbers to remove the material. This is not only expensive, but requires a temporary outage of the plumbing system. A clogged drain in a food processing facility can also affect sanitary conditions, which may be closely scrutinized by sanitation inspectors and the like. The license to operate a food-related establishment can be jeopardized.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that a need exists for a prefilter system that filters particulate matter from liquids before being disposed of down a drain. Another need exists for a particulate filter that has plural inputs from plural drain sinks, or the like. A further need exists for a particulate filter having automatic input shut-off capabilities when the filter medium has been removed. An additional need exists for a filter in which the filter medium can be removed, cleaned and reinstalled without special tools. Yet another need exists for a filter having a sensor indicating when the filter medium has been removed, and when the water level in the filter container is above a predetermined level.